2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.
Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.
Hare Trigger (1945)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez
Friz Freleng’s “Hare Trigger” marks the very first appearance of Yosemite Sam.
As many know, Yosemite Sam is one of the biggest animated icons ever produced from Warner Animation. He wouldn’t just become a famed Bugs Bunny villain, but he’d also become a mascot for Looney Tunes alongside characters like Bugs, Porky, and Daffy. It’s funny that Yosemite Sam finally makes his fully formed appearance after showing up in prototypical form in the previous shorts (“Stage Door Cartoon”). “Hare Trigger” lays down the ground work for all the basic elements that we know and love about Yosemite Sam. He’s pint sized, has the signature gruff voice, the Southern twang, the relentless greed, the red moustache, the bandit mask, and the big hat.
Over the years Warner animation would alter the design here and there depending on the animated short he was appearing in, but generally the basic design has remained the same. Yosemite Sam is a great villain to Bugs Bunny, and “Hare Trigger” is a genuinely great animated short in the Friz Freleng library that brings the best out of everyone. Everyone in the production is just at their best, from Manuel Perez’s animation, to the wonderful comedy, to Mel Blanc. Blanc voices Bugs and Yosemite Sam and really injects an interesting and distinct personality within Sam. When we first meet Yosemite Sam, he’s not about the chatter and wasting time, and more about robbing the train he’s on.
Bugs is a great talent at distracting his nemeses, and Yosemite Sam just happens to be unlucky enough to be on the same train as the wascally wabbit. The gags come at almost a rapid fire pace which adds to the instant rewatchability of “Hare Trigger.” I’ve seen this a thousand times and almost always pick up something new. On the train the Super Chief (the mascot is a Native American Chief dressed as Superman), Bugs is stowing away in the mail kart singing the hilarious folk song “Go Get the Axe.” The song makes no sense but you have to love the lyrics. The short sets up Yosemite Sam by flashing on a Wanted Poster of him, which then cuts to him greeting the Super Chief with guns drawn.
It rides right over him since he’s pint sized, prompting him to jump on a horse and catch up to it. He inevitably sticks up the mail kart, and while looting it happens upon Bugs. Yosemite introduces himself as “the meanest, toughest, rip-roarin’-est, Edward Everett Horton-est hombre what ever packed a six-shooter!” Bugs then explains that there’s another person who claims to be the “same etc. etc.” which leads Sam to the next Cart. The subtle but slick homage to Gary Cooper is great here, as Bugs is drawn in Cooper’s trademark stance, with his hat, gun belt, and even his sullen facial expression. Bugs is already a caricature of Clark Gable, but his ability to transform in to Cooper is just genius.
The two then literally do battle, as Sam challenges him to draw a gun. Here Bugs literally draws a gun. I love the twist on this gag, and I fondly remember the first time watching “Hare Trigger” where I burst out laughing at the “drawing a gun” gag. Sam’s response to draw his own gun is also great icing on the cake as Bugs examines it and mutters “It stinks!” The animators once again take from Tex Avery’s play book by integrating a lot of his famous screwy humor. Whether it’s the trains muttering “Bread and butter” as they pass each other, right down to the integration of live action footage to help deliver a gag. This time the animators use “Dodge City” from 1939 where Sam accidentally runs in to a wild bar fight, allowing Bugs to get one up on him.
I’m not particularly criticizing them on how they borrow from Tex Avery, but the influence is obvious. Avery isn’t the first to integrate live action footage in his shorts, but he very much popularized it, and wasn’t shy on tacking on live action scenes in most of his animated films from MGM. In either case, in the usual twisted Bugs Bunny way, the short ends on a classic movie serial finisher as our narrator asks what will happen to Bugs next. Bugs then slides in with reward money and Sam tied up announcing in Blanc’s Tweety Bird cadence “He don’t know me vewwy well, do he?!”
I love “Hare Trigger.” It’s not only hilarious, and garners some of the best animation in a Bugs Bunny short, but it sets the groundwork for future Yosemite Sam appearances. I’m very glad Warner continued bringing Yosemite Sam back, as he works so well off of Bugs Bunny. Surprisingly he can also be a great villain in other settings, as we’ll come to learn in future Bugs Bunny shorts.
If you love what we do, please consider Donating to Cinema Crazed!